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By Dr. Frank Nabwiso
Just a year after his election in 1996, in the first direct presidential elections in Uganda, President Museveni published an engaging autobiography entitled "Sowing the Mustard Seed".
The president painted himself as a kind of Messianic leader for Uganda, who started as a visionary at a tender age, when he was just a student, especially at Ntare School (1965-66) and the University of Dar es Salaam (1967-70). The book also glorified him for:
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Courageously initiating guerilla activities against the Amin Regime in 1971-79, based on his studies on violence at the University of Dar es Salaam and practical training in guerilla work in the then FRELIMO - controlled areas of Mozambique.
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Bravely fighting with Tanzanian troops until the overthrow of Amin in 1978-79.
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Leading the National Resistance Army (NRA) which successfully fought a 5 - year bush guerilla war which caused the collapse of the second Milton Obote Regime in 1980-85 and the Tito Lutwa Junta of 1985-86.
The book further exalted Museveni for his Government's accomplishments in 1986-1997, including the enactment of the 1995 Constitution which restricted a president to ruling for not more than two terms (i.e. not more than 10 years).
Then in the last paragraph of the book (on page 215), Museveni made an important statement that there were already a number of Ugandans of "presidential caliber" who could succeed him. He accordingly gave the impression that he would willingly hand over power peacefully to any of them when his time was over, and hoodwinked millions of Ugandans in 2001 to believe that he was standing as a presidential candidate for the last time.
"Sowing the Mustard Seed" was specifically written for consumption by Uganda's intelligentsia and the international community, many of whom usually get overexcited or easily carried away after reading "documentary evidence" and "intellectual speeches" from African leaders. By 1992, Museveni had become a "blue-eyed boy" (but not a stooge) of the IMF and World Bank after his total surrender to their prescriptions to Uganda's economy. Earlier, he had already been described by USA and some industrialized nations as the "Chief peace - broker" in the "entire Great Lakes Region".
In brief, the book was intended to assure Ugandans that like the mustard seed, Museveni's Regime (which forcefully grabbed power in 1986) had by 1997 grown into a big unshakeable tree with plenty of fruit and firm long roots in the ground.
Unfortunately, the book is no longer useful to a substantial percentage of Uganda's 32 million people. It is no longer possible to consider Mr. Museveni as a messiah or someone "next to God" as he reportedly claimed on two occasions at Makerere University in recent months.
It is now clear that his guerilla activities against the Amin Regime led to the execution of several of his colleagues in the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA) and provoked more of Amin's brutalities against ordinary Ugandans in the 1970s. It is also obvious that the NRA guerilla war against the Obote II and Lutwa Regimes contributed to mass killings of innocent Ugandans in the Luwero Triangle in 1981-86. Nor would it make sense to any Ugandan of goodwill to ignore the number of Ugandans who have perished in the war between Ugandan soldiers and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) since 1986.
Museveni's long stay in power (23 years) should not be relied on as a guarantee for peace and security. Instead, it should be regarded as another source of insecurity, whose magnitude might only be realized after he has ceased being president. The insecurity is likely to increase from the following 13 failures (seeds of discord) of his Government:
- Failure to establish a system for identifying major nation-building tasks which any pro-people Government ought to address.
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Failure to organize free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections since 1996.
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Failure to reduce corruption, especially in high echelons of government and parastatal bodies
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Failure to put in place an efficient immigration policy, which has made it possible to allow many non-Ugandans to enter the country illegally and even get involved in the politics of Uganda.
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Failure to promote nationalism and to curb sectarian considerations in government appointments and promotions in general and in the armed forces in particular.
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Failure to address the major economic problems of the country e.g.
- Low productivity and high unemployment
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Uncontrolled population growth
- Small government budgetary allocations to agriculture (the mainstay of Uganda's economy)
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Use of large sums of funds on non-productive sectors (such as the creation of numerous unviable districts, enlargement of Parliament to 333 members, appointment of scores of redundant presidential advisors, etc) and
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Underdevelopment of the export industry.
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Failure to resolve civil strife, especially in Northern Uganda.
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Failure to promote internal democracy within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM party) and to build a strong NRM Secretariat.
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Failure to promote democracy and good governance in general.
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Promoting the culture of rewarding overbearing NRM sycophants at the expense of ignoring hardworking Ugandan technocrats and professionals.
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Failure to control the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to provide quality health care to citizens.
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Failure to develop the country's goals in university education and to provide quality primary, secondary, technical and vocational education vis-a-vis socio-economic development.
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Failure to provide massive adult education programs to liberate ordinary citizens from illiteracy, ignorance, poverty, disease, fear and low self-esteem.
In short, Mr. Museveni has, among other things, spent his long tenure in power (especially from 1996) trying to indoctrinate Ugandans to believe that he is indispensable and irreplaceable. In the process, he has failed to cure himself from the habit of blaming others for his own mistakes and from the habit of intimidating others through the armed forces.
Consequently, he has regrettably laid down the premises upon which succeeding generations may stand to demolish his cult and even his positive achievements, which demolition might provoke more violence in our motherland
Dr. Frank Nabwiso
Former Member of Parliament
Kagoma Constituency.
Comments:
30 Nov 2008
1.
Dear Frank Nabwiso,
thank you very much for penning down these issues so that a majority of Ugandans can know that a "GOAT" is currently ruling Uganda (I believe Museveni is a goat;not a human being). What else can explain his unwillingness to see that he is taking the nation in a wrong direction?
- How do you explain the poor transport network system in the country and the fact that Nasasira is still minister?
- Look at the dilapidated hospitals yet Museveni and his family always fly out for treatment. The claim that some Ugandan doctors' substandard ethics may endager them, but how come former Ugandan leaders used to seek treatment here? Why unethical doctors only in Museveni's time?
- Museveni is a "goat" because he thinks hotels (that serve mainly foreigners) are more important than schools like Shimoni Demonstration school that educated millions. Where is this school now?
- The cost of fuel has been deliberately hiked by government goons so as to raise enough money for the 2011 elections. A barrel of crude costs US $50 on the world market! But Ugandans will continue to suffer with extortionary fuel prices as long as he is in power.
- Museveni owns a string of businesses in Uganda icluding AIR UGANDA! How did he get the capital to start such?
- Museveni is worse than Mobutu. In fact, I have a feeling that when he eventually dies, as we all must do sooner or later, not even hell will accept him!
- Museveni has been a liability to Uganda for 40 years now. The numerous wars he has instigated and led have led to loss of human life and stagnated our economy. Actually he has been involved in all of Uganda's wars (from 1972 invasion of Uganda by exiles, to 1979, 1981-1986 bush war, as well as the Kony wars, not to forgot those in Congo). He has had the audacity to fight in Southern Sudan, DRC, Somali, Rwanda and Angola. Involved in almost every instability in the entire African continent! Where are the ICC warrants for his head??
2.
Dear readers,
First and foremost we should all aplaud Dr. Frank Nabwiso (MP) for coming out loudly and boldly to inform the world of the assumed achievements of one Yoweri Museveni and how they measure with those of former presidents like Amin and Obote.
This is a bold move and encouragement should be given to more Ugandans to come out and speak on issues affecting our country. It is high time that we came to terms with the fact that compared to Museveni, Amin and Obote were more nationalistic. No doubt the two had their faults and problems but sometimes not out of their liking (commission) but rather out of omission and the prevailing circumstances of those days forced on them by none other than Yoweri himself who was fighting to acquire recognition and raw power he was craving all his life.
Amin and Obote have been long accused of killing thousands of Ugandans but it is now becoming apparent that most of the killings were actually the works of Yoweri Museveni and his rogue elements in FRONASA and NRA. So we can no longer blindly place ALL the blame on the door-steps of former governments. Yoweri Museveni's role in those murders and atrocities must also be taken into account.
If you follow all his actions from the beginning, Museveni has proved before our eyes in broad day light that he is a man who set out to systematically destroy the state called Uganda. This is one fellow who has systematically destroying all institutions and laid the seeds of future violence and civil wars. It is not what we hope for but the harsh reality is he has made violence a precondition for his removal. That is one big issue which we Ugandans must preempt by taking the initative to discuss and resolve. We don't have to follow his doomsday script which was made in hell.
Ugandans believe it or not, there is no way past leaders even the likes of Amin and Obote would see state institutions decaying and do nothing about it. No way. In fact the only time we have seen a steady decline in state institutions by design, rather than from external factors acting on the government is in this Museveni regime.
I can not ever imagine Amin and Obote seeing Mulago hospital, Jinja, Mbarara, Masaka, Gulu, Bugiri, Tororo, Mbale and other regional hospitals go to waste in preference for demolishing schools and giving away the land to build cheap hotels that do not benefit the majority of Ugandans. If you can remember, these past leaders did alot to improve and maintain these places. What we see now before our eyes can only be done by a man who is either blind, extremely cynical or has a mental problem which is out of control.
Ugandans, what we have now is a government full of professors and doctors but all we get are idiotic decisions. This is not what we expect from visionary leaders. Ugandans, it is high time we exposed the deficiencies of these chaps.
Can you imagine Museveni who inspite of his glaring deficiencies claims he is "doing us a favour" to rule us?
How can a man who as a destitute, found sanctuary in Uganda, was given free education away from the refugee camps he would have ended up in, given a Uganda government scholarship to Dar es Salaam University in Tanzania having failed to gain enough credits to go to Makerere, a man who was till 23 years back practically a bandit, has now turned around and stolen government land and our tax money, and on top of that is now arrogantly proclaiming that he is doing us a favour to be president? I hope you all remember when his wife announced that he was God sent!
Ugandans, how can we be insulted to such levels by Yoweri and family and we just look on? Or do we in reality accept that what they are saying is true? Is silence, consent?
As to where we may be headed, we have many examples to learn from. Our neighbour this Congo we see now in a mess was much better off during the early days of the 60s and under Belgium rule irrespective of what people may say. Enter a native son Mobuto and see what Congo is today: wars, death, crushing poverty, exploitation and human rights abuses on a massive scale with no end in sight.
Look at Somalia under the autocratic leader, late Siad Barre and the current disintegration of the state.
This Museveni you see is far worse than either Siad Barre or Mobuto Sese Seko. On one hand he is not a true citizen hence his love for Uganda is opportunistic with no loyalty whatsoever, and secondly he is more of a killer and anarchist than those two.
Mobuto did not kill more than 100,000 Congolese. Can anyone count how many Ugandans, Rwandese, Sudanese and Congolese killed by the direct or indirect actions of Yoweri? The number is over 5 million and still counting!
Give Museveni another 5 years and his desire to dismember and permanently cripple Uganda as a nation will be complete. After all how shall we pursue him and his fellow crooks for justice when we are busy fighting each other as tribes with bitter rivalries and tiny unviable districts? Ugandans, we are dealing with a bushman, a bandit, a fugitive who by his actions has clearly told us he does not want any functional institution and is against the rule of law in whatever form it may take. His guilt is seen by what he has done to destroy all forms of institutional history and records.
For your information in Police all records are currently being systematically destroyed under the watchful eyes of his loyal servant, this smiling but deadly IGP Gen. Kale Kayihura. Don't think he put him there for nothing.
In the Land office the destruction is overseen by another very close ally Major General Kahinda Otafiire. Some of you may be aware that since Yoweri and friends were busy stealing government land, they deliberately blocked and eventually failed the project to computerize the land registry and titles systems which was funded by a grant from the World Bank and supervised by a competent Kenyan firm.
Ugandans these men are not joking, and it is not that they don't know what they are doing or are 'incompetent' as some like to think. No, these people know what they want and have a clear program to achieve it. It is us who have refused or failed to accept the reality. They do these things right before our eyes but everyone just keeps quiet, pretending that nothing happened or it doesn't concern them. We should by now realize that the future of Uganda as a country is at stake. We should not blame anyone for not having learnt from the lessons of Congo and Somalia, Zimbabwe and other failed or failing states. They started the way Uganda is going now.
Congolese and Somalis may be considered to have been unlucky and forgiven, but we Ugandans may find little sympathy for in this 21st Century, having quietly and in some instances willingly allowed a small gang of crooks led by the likes of Museveni to wreck our very own homeland! Where shall we start to explain that a whole country of supposedly reasonably educated, civilised people is led by a man whose mentality belongs to the 18th Century where you had marauding bandits roaming the earth, destroying villages and killing people? How shall we answer if someone asks, you as a Ugandan, what did you do to stop this madness?
All security agencies in Uganda read Radio Katwe hence I will take this opportunity to warn you fellows that, Yoweri Museveni the so-called President you pretend to love does not care what happens to you at the end of the day.
Your children still go in poor UPE schools and be mis- or under-educated as his own children fly to Europe and America to study, his grand children and relatives go to international schools.
For those of you who stay in barracks, your welfare, housing, medical, meals and education for your children is worse off today if you compare with what even "swine" like Amin provided for his soldiers.
Your children, parents, brother and sisters go to poor health centers and clinics yet Yoweri, his daughters and relatives fly to "7 Star" hospitals in Germany and Spain for even simple things like a mere medical check up. And thereafter they shop on the most expensive streets in Europe as your relatives die of preventable diseases like malaria. This is the reality we who work here and carry the heavy shopping bags see with our own eyes.
Some of you joined the army as a last resort because for over 20 years, a period in which a child would have been born, gone through the school system and graduated from university, Yoweri's government has all this time failed to organise an economy that provides employment to these young people. And now we see some of you end up in an army uniform but herding his cattle in Rwakitura and Kisozi farms and you still call yourselves UPDF soldiers with numbers!
Also you fellows in intelligence and other rogue elements in security, some of you are very arrogant, better learn from what happened to those of Idi Amin's State Research Bureau and Obote's NASA. The fact which you cannot escape from is regimes come go. Just look all over the world, even those which in their time considered themselves unmoveable, where are they now? Likewise you work but knowing that your days are coming to an end.
Yoweri in his current state of health will not be around for another 10 years at the longest. Better think twice as you kidnap, beat and torture Ugandans because trust me, we are watching and taking notes which will come in very useful one day before a judge.
You still have a chance to disobey orders to kill and torture fellow Ugandans because when Yoweri and family run away to their luxurious villas in Europe, you will remain behind to face the music. And depending on your record, like it or not, this time Ugandans will deliver the toughest justice, never for any future president to fool around like this.
Ask yourself whether it is worth it paying the ultimate price on behalf of Yoweri Museveni. Start asking yourself, where is the benefit for me and my children, and is it worth it at the end of the day? Think of it not in terms of a threat, but calmly as you would take a good piece of advice. Please, stop torturing and killing Ugandans on behalf of your boss. As an ordinary Ugandan I can tell you this country is ours and we want the best for the people of Uganda hence we pose no security risk as Yoweri would have you to believe. This is my homeland, why should we want to destroy it? Where will I go then? Please, be reasonable.
Yoweri Museveni is the problem to our country Uganda. He is the number one risk to national security. That is just a simple fact. Remember, your duty as intelligence officers is to do what is best for the country and not what is best for an individual, moreso a selfish man like Museveni, or any future leader who will succeed him. Your salaries are paid by Ugandans, not with money from Museveni's personal pocket.
Take yourself as a professional, not just a hired thug to do other peoples dirty work for them.
As an example the US Secret Service which guards the US president cannot refuse to serve a new president because they like Bush. They are there to serve their country, not a person. They don't involve themselves in this petty politics of acting like the personal servants of an individual. What they do is for the good of their country, not mistreating people and behaving like uncivilised thugs with guns and gadgets as we see some of you doing.
I end by asking Ugandans to stand strong, Yoweri is becoming weaker by the day as most of his sycophants come to terms that he is now history. Most of them are now grabbing whatever is left knowing soon every one will be running away, being chased by the people they have robbed and tortured for long.
from an observer in State House.
3.
Dear RK,
Thanks for that once again.However, to me it is not news at all.
Some of us saw see it coming. But being ordinary unarmed civillians, we cant do anything! Our soldiers, I have said it again and again, are just stooges as well, who have also failed to liquidate this Museveni monster.
Graft of the highest order. Yes, as comment number 1 says, Museveni is a big joke, a big liability, a big mistake and a calamity that befell Uganda. If the Obotes, the Amins afforded to go to Mulago for treatment, it means standards were excellent then. Remember, Uganda didnt have much money as is today at that time! How did these 'swines' manage Uganda? It baffles me alot that Museveni, with all the extra money in Uganda at present fails miserably in putting it to patriotic use for Ugandans! Talk of junk choppers, I believe Amin in his grave must be crying over this. Drugs expiring in medical stores and yet hospitals are empty? No, not even Obote would accept that! There are just too many evils which will take me ages just elaborating on how this nation has rotted under this Museveni.
Now they have finished creating bogus districts, of course as conduit to steal or waste peoples money in corruption. He is now 'allocating' out kingships, the Basoga have a Museveni appointed King! In Bugisu, they are soon getting one, let alone the fact that Bamasaba have never had a king culturally. The aim is soilict cheap political capital ahead of 2011. Muslims also have a Museveni appointed Mufti!
Talk of creating new 'cities'. In line are Mbarara, Gulu, Jinja and Mbale. Now we here, that Mbale authorities must first get the town back to its former glory or else, forget city status. Yes, its true that Mbale has corrupt officials who have mismanaged what was once one of the best planned towns in East and central Africa. But that is not an excuse to fail them in getting city status. Why single out only Mbale? Is Mbarara FREE of corruption? If anything, Mbale is far better planned and bigger than Mbarara. Tell me if am lying, Mbarara has no street lights! Has only two double laned roads (just a few meters long!), has not enough parking space for cars! I was there for a wedding and saw it, unlike Mbale. It is abitter fact. Yes, old buildings have to be brought down and new ones put up. There are people in Uganda with money ready to buy and build.
However, Museveni has a concealed hatred for easterners, especially Mbale people because :
- They are originally UPC. Many joined NRM just for 'food' and he knows it quite well.
- Museveni is not happy with Mbale municipality having FDC represent it in parliament. So he wants to punish them by denying them city status for rejecting NRM.
- He is not happy about Nandala Mafabi heading BCU. He wanted the B.C. Union to be headed by his NRM puppets. He thus has scores to settle with Mbale people!
- He has stone to grind with these Mbale fellows, Mbu they choose to watch Arsenal Fc all the time and ignore his bona baggagawa gospel. Of course Bamasaba are very cunning, they know its is empty talk as usual.
- Mbale was a spiritual home to Obote. He was even considering to turn Mbale into Uganda's new capital when he and mengo were at loggerheads. Museveni, as ever with his childish rivalry, has turned Mbale into his enemy for that!
- Museveni has NEVER addressed Mbale people at the cricket grounds. Why? Obote used to address them from there! Instead, he has been inconveniently addressing people at independence grounds, just behind the regional building.
- We hear, he even dosent sleep in the presidential Lodge in senior quarters because Obote used to sleep there!
Kyooka Museveni, his rivalry is too childish to bear!
He is very scared of having two cities in one region. That is Jinja and Mbale. Museveni fears seeing a big power base of Jinja and Mbale emerging, which might cause him trouble in elections!
Now, Museveni and Otafire see only Mbale as more filthy and mismanged towns in Uganda. How about the rest? We know it is just politics. But we will not give up. Mbarara might be 'baptised ' into city status, but it will also remain just a town. Our Mbale will remain a filthy and mismanaged village, which will also be regarded by sane people as one of Uganda's best towns. The Baganda have a saying that even if you smeared a beautiful Princess with cow gung, she will still be noticed as beautiful. That is Mbale.
Masaba,
Senior Quarters,
Mbale
Wananchi, after more than 20 years of NRM siasa, we should by now have learned some of these Museveni gimmicks and just ignore them, instead concentrate on real issues. Calling all these dusty, unplanned, disorganised and miserable little towns, (Kampala included) 'city' or 'hamlet' for that matter, does not change anything. They remain the glorified semi-slums they are now. It is high time we demanded and made sure we got real substance and value for our tax money, not getting worked up over mere titles. How long shall we continue squabbling over boya bwa nswa?
4.
On "How M7 has continued sowing seeds of instability"
I have one comment to make on the editorial comment at the bottom.
Quote, "...It is high time we demanded and made sure we got real substance and value for our tax money, not getting worked up over mere titles. How long shall we continue squabbling over boya bwa nswa?"
Demand what? We want the chicken thief out. Demanding from him real substance will not help the country. He should go.
The true Ugnadans in the army should push this thief out.
I do not think he would have many followers behind him, even from his own region, once some one comes in the fore front to lead a rebellion against him. I know with in the forces, people silently hate him but have no way of expressing themselves. Use the guns to express your hate. We should be ready to sacrifice some blood to get rid of this evil.
Concerned Ugandan.
5.
Ugandans beware. Museveni enjoys the head banging and divide and rule that is his major strategy to rule Uganda, play them against each other or one another. I hope the church can start to put pressure on him we need to support the pastors like Fr Gaetano and the Bishop of Luwero who can tell him off to his face on corruption. Uganda our motherland is a failed state and we must wake up to redeem our country and all of us including the church must act.
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